Dunkirk: No one wants council’s job

August 12, 2013

Two Dunkirk Common Council candidates, while discussing the NRG issue and its backing of a grant for a water district on a WDOE radio "Viewpoint" program, got a little carried away when discussing the November elections.

Unless write-in candidates emerge, the current council will take on another two-year term. The reason? No opposition.

Both Democrats Stephanie Kiyak, councilwoman at-large, and William Rivera, Second Ward councilman, admitted some "surprise," as well as disappointment, by the fact city voters will not have a choice. But they later noted that it is also an "endorsement" by the Republican Party.

That is certainly not the case.

The real reason council candidates are not facing any opposition is because nobody wants the job. This council, while making strides in regionalism by sharing its police services and working on the water district, has not made any tough decisions.

This group has rubber-stamped city budgets with tax and fee hikes. They approved stipends - more spending - for members of committees who are better known as volunteers. In addition, they would rather focus on past wrongs of the previous administration than fixing what ails Dunkirk for the future.

No candidates to run? No kidding. It's not just in the city of Dunkirk, it also is apparent in the villages, towns, school boards and some county races.

No one can fix what ails Western New York municipalities. Gener-ous contracts with salaries and benefits for government workers are not going away.